This invention relates to the art of test devices and, more particularly, to an acoustical and thermal test device for electronics cabinets.
In general, electronics cabinets, such as server racks, include low impedance acoustical covers that attenuate sound while also ensuring adequate airflow to electronic components. Conventionally, cover attenuation is tested by mounting a cover onto an open side of an otherwise enclosed reflective box containing a noise source. Flow impedance properties of the cover are measured by uniformly drawing air through a cover mounted on a flow bench. Neither of the current test procedures account for actual flow characteristics and acoustical noise emission properties of real air moving devices (AMD) physically located within the cabinet. Given that actual locations and emissions characteristics of the real air moving devices diverge from theoretical uniformity across the cover, results obtained from the current test procedures do not reflect actual flow and emission characteristics with any accuracy.
Other existing test procedures include calculating airflow via changes in electronic component temperatures and noise attenuation by measuring a functional system with and without covers. While this test procedure provides results that are more accurate than those obtained from the above-described procedures, waiting for actual production level components moves testing to a latter part of a design cycle. In many instances, testing late in the design cycle does not provide adequate lead time to design and manufacture covers for regulatory compliance testing.